WinSP MBT: Das Reich

[MarkSheppard]

Originally Posted by RecruitMonty

I had seen that too. What an interesting design. I wonder if it is feasible? It screams attack helicopter. Only problem is it is jet powered and in the mid 1940s that meant high fuel consumption.

Well, I look at it in the same way the Messerschmitt P.1101 in 1945 was studied heavily by Bell for the X-5 of 1951 that tested different wing geometries in flight, which eventually led to the F-111A of 1964, the MiG-23 of 1967, and the Tornado of 1974.

So figure the Fa 283 V0 flies in maybe 1947 or 1948 and has some intruiging characteristics, like hitting an extremely high top speed for a VTOL/STOL craft, but poor payload performance from a dead stop (no power to rotor apparently) and high fuel consumption kind of do it in.

Eventually it's reworked circa 1949 or 1950 into the Fa.283 V1 which turns it from a simple gyrodyne into a compound helicopter by the addition of a 100-200 hp piston engine in the fuselage which turns the rotor; significantly improving payload carrying capability from a dead stop and other low speed flight characteristics. But the piston engine takes up too much room in the fuselage.

A couple years pass; and in 1952 or 1953, they re-work it again into the Fa.283 V2 which uses a 500 SHP turboshaft engine adopted from an experimental turboprop. The turboshaft is pretty bulky compared to modern (c.1960s) turboshafts, but it's significantly less weight and bulk than the piston engine.

Suddenly, it's possible to have a useful fuselage payload. Also, maybe around this time, they also replace the jet with a turboprop engine; and from there on, you have the family tree that leads to your "Von Cheyenne" that's in the game as the Do.410.